Ticket-door supporter



(ModeL) M. H. TAPPAN.

TICKET DOOR SUI-PORTER. No. 261,104. 'Patented Ju1y11, 1882.-'

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MELVIN H. TAPPAN, OF LA GYGNE, KANSAS.

TICKET-DOOR SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 261,104, dated July 11, 1882. Application filed April 15, 1882. (Model.)

lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

Myinvention consists of a ratchet-and-lever contrivance for supporting the door of a ticket-case such as is used in railroad and other ticket-offices, the object being to provide a ready and convenient means of supporting the door at different elevations, according to the requirements of persons of dilierent heights, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart ofthis specification, in which my improved ticket-case-door supporter is represented in perspective view.

A represents the ticket-case, and B the door of the case, both of which are of the usual form and contrivance, the door being hinged at the upper end to the top of the case, so as to be opened by swinging the lower end upward. The common method of fastenin g the door open is by placing a stick under the door and resting the lower end of the stick on some convenient part of the case, which is notvery secure, as the stick is liable to he accidentally knocked from its foot-rest. Besides, for a tall man the door has to be raised much higher than for a short one, so that the stick that is long enough for the short man will not answer for the tall man, and the short man using the stick of the tall man has to raise the door much higher than is needful for himself. I pose to have the stick or brace G pivoted to the'door, as at D, and also pivoted to the pawllever E, having a pivot near the back of the therefore procase at F, and also having a pawl, G, to engage with a ratchet, H, said ratchet being pivoted to the side of the case at I, so as to swing forward and backward a little to engage with and disengage from the pawl. The said ratchet is constructed in curved form to suit the swing of the pawl G on the center F, and it is provided with a handle, J, by which to manipulate it. It also has an inciosing case, K, in which protected, and by which it is attached to the side of the ticket-case. The said ratchet is arranged to gravitate toward pawl G, so that in raising the case-door it engages the pawl automatically whenever the pawl stops, and to disengage it to close the door needs only that the pawl shall be pushed back, care being taken to support the closing door by the hand to prevent itfrom fallin g too hard. The ratchet is pivoted in slots L in the insides of the plates of its case K, so that it may be put in and taken out through the front opening of the case, to enable the latter to be cast in one piece for cheapness of construction.

It will be seen that the ratchet-case may be attached to the side oft-he case A without any cutting or fitting, also the pawl, lever, and brace.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination of a pivoted ratchet H with the supporting-lever E, pawl G, and brace U of the ticket-case specified.

MELVIN II. TAPPAN.

Witnesses:

J. T. DONALDSON, A. J. WILLIAMS.

door B, substantially as it is mostly concealed and 

